The Directors of the Peace On Earth Film Festival, along with the Board of Directors of Transcendence Global Media, NFP, are pleased to announce that the 2019 Peace On Earth Film Festival, Friday, March 8th, through Sunday, March 10th, 2019, will be hosted by the newly renovated Davis Theater in Lincoln Park, Chicago.

Submissions for the 2019 POEFF will commence on Sunday, June 10 and run through September 23, 2018. We are proud to announce our continued relationship with submission partners Withoutabox and FilmFreeway.

The 11th Annual Peace On Earth Film Festival (POEFF) celebrates and supports independent filmmakers and their work from around the world on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance: films within the various modalities of peace genre. POEFF aims to contribute to a culture of peace through international cinema, dialogue and programming highlighting individuals on the vanguard of peace activism and social change.

Presenting a program of multi-faceted films, POEFF focuses on reshaping attitudes, encouraging and highlighting nonviolent practices, and opening minds to the possibility of communication, consideration, tolerance and understanding. POEFF features an Opening Night Press Gala, Filmmakers’ Panel and Peacemakers’ Panel discussions and a Closing Night Awards Ceremony and after-party where exhibiting filmmakers are honored, and category winners receive accolades and cash prizes.

Ali Abu Awwad, a charismatic leader whose autobiography tells a story that normally produces a bitter hardened enemy, began the “Roots” project in the winter of 2014 when he met a settler named Shaul Judelman, and they built together a partnership of peace activists. A joint grass roots project of Palestinians and Israeli settlers meet on the homestead of Ali for meaningful dialogue to find a way to live together in the hope of a better future.

In 2009, Noah Schultz was arrested for attempted murder sentenced and incarcerated for seven years. Pushed to better himself and to challenge our perceptions of what it means to be an inmate, Noah took advantage of every program, workshop and educational service provided. From gang member and drug dealer, to college grad, author, and TEDx speaker. Noah’s determination and spirit have launched him to success; and he continues to advocate for programs in youth correctional facilities, and hopes to achieve reform of our prison systems nation’s widespread.

When a brutish band of clay-morphing meanies invades and conquers a tribe of peaceful natives, their callous actions escalate to a shocking finale. Not One of Us serves as an ominous warning about the perils of building walls in the name of greed, violence, and xenophobia.

As climate change begins to wreak havoc, especially on the world’s developing nations, a 23-year-old Malaysian activist travels to Paris to represent young people from countries like his at the COP21 climate negotiations. His journey to discover his role as an activist on a global stage, to speak up for the underrepresented Global South, and to continue fighting now in the face of U.S. President Trump’s abandonment of the Paris Agreement, provides insight into the world of international climate negotiations and activism that is rarely reported to the public.

‘The Secret Fatwa’ uncovers a crime unknown to the world and unique in the history of state crimes. In 1988 the Islamic Republic of Iran in a modern day medieval inquisition and religious purging, sent to death 4,000 political prisoners. Filmmaker, Delnaz Abadi, reaches out to former political prisoners who had fled Iran to uncover this horrific story.

The emotionally-charged visual follows the harrowing narrative of one family’s undocumented journey and their sudden, tragic separation. The visual is a tribute to fellow Latinos – beyond any border. It’s an emotional narrative and only one of thousands of stories lived daily in the US

Student Voices for Peace AwardsSelected by over 250 6th through 12th graders.

Exposé AwardsRecognizes short and feature documentaries that expose a subject that has received little or no media or public attention, but that shares a potent message and a clear demonstration that change is needed.

The Directors of the Peace On Earth Film Festival, along with the Board of Directors of Transcendence Global Media, NFP, are pleased to announce the Selected Films for the 10th Annual Peace On Earth Film Festival (POEFF) presented March 9th – March 11th, at the newly renovated Davis Theater, in Lincoln Square – Chicago.

The 34 international films of the 2018 POEFF celebrate the work of filmmakers from around the world – 11 different countries – on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance: films within the various modalities of peace genre. POEFF aims to contribute to a culture of peace through international cinema, dialogue and programming highlighting individuals on the vanguard of peace activism and social change.

Submissions for the 10th Annual Peace On Earth Film Festival are now closed.

Thank you to filmmakers worldwide that submitted their powerful and courageous works with us.

We will announce Official Selections into the 2018 Peace On Earth Film Festival on or about December 10th.

The 10th Annual Peace On Earth Film Festival (POEFF) will be held at the newly renovated Davis Theater in Lincoln Square (Chicago, IL) from Friday, March 9 through Sunday, March 11, 2018.

Join us to celebrate and support independent filmmakers and their work from around the world on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance – films within the various modalities of peace genre. Join us, as we aim to contribute to a culture of peace through international cinema, dialogue and programming highlighting individuals on the vanguard of peace activism and social change.

POEFF presents a program of multi-faceted films, focused on reshaping attitudes, encouraging and highlighting nonviolent practices, and opening minds to the possibility of communication, consideration, tolerance and understanding.

POEFF features an Opening Night Press Gala, Filmmakers’ Panel, Peacemakers’ Panel, and One on One discussions with filmmakers and activists, and a Closing Night Awards Ceremony where exhibiting filmmakers are honored, and category winners receive accolades and cash prizes.

The Directors of the Peace On Earth Film Festival, along with the Board of Directors of Transcendence Global Media, NFP, are pleased to announce that the 2018 Peace On Earth Film Festival, coming in mid-March at a venue in Chicago.

Submissions for the 2018 POEFF will commence on Tuesday, June 20 and run through September 20, 2017. We are proud to announce our continued relationship with FilmFreeway and Withoutabox submission partners for the 2018 Peace On Earth Film Festival. For further details see: Guidelines for Submissions.

Through the personal stories of six former prisoners documented over four years, Beyond the Wall bears witness to the challenges of life on the outside. Our characters are in transition; they must relinquish their old lives and build new ones often with little help from the criminal justice system. This film is an intimate portrait of their struggle, their reentry, relapse, recovery and redemption.

Hindi Dr. Amit Singh (Ram Gopal Bajaj) survived the British partition of India; yet, cannot shake the trappings of dementia. Salim (Pankaj Tripathi), is a Muslim auto rickshaw driver whose wife was raped and burned to death by Hindu rioters. Now the journey of a thousand miles will heal bitter cultural wounds and forge an unforgettable friendship.

A man is assaulted by a group of young men. The assault is recorded, the video goes viral – an instant hit. Life through a lens proves to be far more engaging than the real thing, and an exposé of cyber voyeurism.

Costa Rica’s civil war in 1948 shook the country to its foundations, culminating in the decision to abolish the military. From there, they intentionally cultivated security relationships with other nations through treaties, international laws, and international organizations; they created a vital democracy, a wide middle class, and a strong welfare state with free university education and universal health care. Over the last 68 years, the Costa Rican model has survived several serious crises, but the current threats may be the most formidable of all.

An uncharismatic history lecturer of totalitarian leaders, on the Sabbath weekend celebrating the 90th birthday of his wife’s grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, is forced to confront history, family and self.

Students of Chicago’s violence-plagued neighborhoods travel to S. Africa in 2016, 22 years after apartheid, to prepare to become the Peace Builders needed in their communities.

Student Voices for Peace AwardsStudent Voices for Peace Showcases are held on Thursday (middle school) and Friday (high school) mornings of the festival. The students screen Official Selections that the POEFF Teacher Advisory Panel has recommended to the festival directors for students in 7th – 12th grades. The students share dialogue on each film then cast their votes for the Student Choice Award for Most Inspiring Story.

Exposé AwardsA special category that the festival directors created 5 years ago to recognize short and feature documentaries that expose a subject that has received little or no media or public attention, but that shares a potent message, and a clear demonstration that change is needed and is possible.

The Directors of the Peace On Earth Film Festival, along with the Board of Directors of Transcendence Global Media, NFP, are pleased to announce that the 2017 Peace On Earth Film Festival, Friday, March 10th, through Sunday, March 12th, will be held at the Music Box Theatre, the premiere venue for independent and foreign films in Chicago.

Tickets will go on sale February 10th, 2017.

Student Voices for Peace Education Outreach, an ALL FREE program for Chicago school students is being held in the Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater (2nd floor-north) on Thursday, March 9th, 2017. The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is co-presenting the screenings for the Student Voices for Peace program. Download Flier (PDF).

The 9th Annual Peace On Earth Film Festival (POEFF) celebrates and supports independent filmmakers and their work from around the world on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance: films within the various modalities of peace genre. POEFF aims to contribute to a culture of peace through international cinema, dialogue and programming highlighting individuals on the vanguard of peace activism and social change.

Presenting a program of multi-faceted films, POEFF focuses on reshaping attitudes, encouraging and highlighting nonviolent practices, and opening minds to the possibility of communication, consideration, tolerance and understanding. POEFF features an Opening Night Press Gala, Filmmakers’ Panel discussions, Peacemakers’ Panel, discussions and a Closing Night Awards Ceremony where exhibiting filmmakers are honored, and category winners receive accolades and cash prizes.

We have adjusted our submissions process for the 2017 Peace On Earth Film Festival to include streaming. You may now upload your films for live streaming via Withoutabox or FilmFreeway.

Please Note: if selected for entry into the 2017 Peace On Earth Film Festival we must receive via ground-mail a DVD or Blu-ray (US Region 0 or 1 format ONLY) exactly the same cut as the live stream by February 1, 2017.

The Directors of the Peace On Earth Film Festival, along with the Board of Directors of Transcendence Global Media, NFP, are pleased to announce that the 2017 Peace On Earth Film Festival, Friday, March 10, through Sunday, March 12, 2017, and will be hosted by the Music Box Theatre, the premiere venue for independent and foreign films in Chicago.

Submissions for the 2017 POEFF will commence on Monday, July 25 and run through October 10, 2016. We are proud to announce joining with FilmFreeway for 2017 and our continued relationship with Withoutabox as submission partners for the 2017 Peace On Earth Film Festival. For further details see: Guidelines for Submissions.

Update: Submissions for the 2017 Peace On Earth Film Festival will begin on or about July 15, 2016.

Moving into our 9th year, the Peace On Earth Film Festival (POEFF) celebrates and supports independent filmmakers and their work from around the world on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance: films within the various modalities of peace genre. POEFF aims to contribute to a culture of peace through international cinema, dialogue and programming highlighting individuals on the vanguard of peace activism and social change.

Presenting a program of multi-faceted films, POEFF focuses on reshaping attitudes, encouraging and highlighting nonviolent practices, and opening minds to the possibility of communication, consideration, tolerance and understanding. POEFF features Filmmakers’ Panel and Peacemakers’ Panel discussions, and a Closing Night Awards Ceremony where exhibiting filmmakers are honored, and category winners receive accolades and cash prizes.

The Peace On Earth Film Festival is fostering a new discourse on peace in Chicago, for the world.

A tribute to the remarkable and inspiring short life of Jyoti Singh; documenting the brutality of her gang-rape and murder in Delhi in December 2012; its a study into the mindset of the men committed this heinous act and the patriarchal society and culture which foment such actions toward women. The film is however optimistic, as the case has been a catalyst for change, and the massive public outrage to the incident bears witness to an attitudinal change on the horizon, which the film seeks to amply.

Juan is a boy from a wealthy family who doesn’t seem to find his way in life. This annoys Ricardo, his father, who can’t stand watching his son waste his time partying with friends. Tired of his father’s reproaches, Juan wants to move out of his parents’ house but doesn’t have the money to provide for himself. Emilio, a guy in his band, convinces him that any means is valid if it helps him get what he wants. So, he “helps” Juan by introducing him to a group of drug dealers from the slums of the city. Unfortunately for Juan,...

Long before Black Lives Matter became a rallying cry, Edythe Boone embodied that truth as an artist, an educator, and a great-­‐grandmother. When a deeply personal tragedy ignites a national outcry, everything that Edy has worked so tirelessly for comes into question. From humble Harlem beginnings herself, the indefatigable “Edy” has for decades introduced underserved youth and seniors to the transformative power of art. Having helped her students use mural making to grapple with the disproportional shootings of young black men, the issue hits home when her nephew Eric Garner dies in police custody, his last words: “I Can’t Breathe.”...

Vicente is a teenager in Guatemala City who wants to play professional soccer. When presented with the opportunity to trained by Lobo, a neighborhood coach at a soccer academy, he jumps at the chance. Unfortunately things are not as they appear and Vicente is forced to choose whether to speak up or stay silent.

Terrorism is one of biggest problems facing humanity today, but the families of the 270 victims of Pan Am Flight 103 have lived with it for decades. Bound together by tragedy when a bomb ripped the New York-bound 747 jumbo jet into pieces over Lockerbie, Scotland, just before Christmas in 1988, the Flight 103 families faced one traumatic injustice after another. From the early days when an unprepared U.S. government left the relatives to fend for themselves against a greedy, once-iconic airline, to the modern era, when the only man convicted of the crime was set free in a backdoor...

Survivors recount their stories of living through the little known famine or HOLODOMOR (death inflicted by starvation), a genocide engineered by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in 1932-1933. Stalin was determined to suppress Ukrainian nationhood once and for all through the decimation of Ukraine’s elites and its rural population. He introduced collectivization and confiscated all livestock, grain and basic foodstuffs, ensuring the starvation of the countryside. The world turned a blind eye as Soviet authorities exported Ukraine’s wheat to the West while millions perished.

In the middle of night, Omer and Yoni, two Israeli Jewish brothers, encounter Khalid, a Palestinian boy from the West Bank. A fight ensues, resulting in a broken leg. The boys are uncertain of what to do. The varied histories, sentiments, divisions, and desperation of both families surface through the boys’ memories, and ultimately in their discordant approaches to the situation at hand.

As national outcry in America grows around police brutality and the murder of innocents, 25-year-old Chicago black revolutionary David ‘Iggyflow’ Rucker takes a stand against a corrupt justice system.

Student Voices for Peace AwardsStudent Voices for Peace Showcases are held on Thursday (middle school) and Friday (high school) mornings of the festival. The students screen Official Selections that the POEFF Teacher Advisory Panel has recommended to the festival directors for students in 7th – 12th grades. The students share dialogue on each film then cast their votes for the Student Choice Award for Most Inspiring Story.

Exposé AwardsA special category that the festival directors created 5 years ago to recognize short and feature documentaries that expose a subject that has received little or no media or public attention, but that shares a potent message, and a clear demonstration that change is needed and is possible.

The 8th Annual Peace on Earth Film Festival, will honor Gordon Quinn and Kartemquin Films for their 50 years of making films about people whose lives are most directly affected by social and political change.

Festival directors, Nick Angotti, Clayton Monical and Milissa Pacelli, will present Gordon Quinn with an award on Friday, March 4th following the 7:45pm screening of one of his first films, What The Fuck Are These Red Squares? (1970) Social activist and cinematographer, Peter Kuttner, who first worked with Gordon Quinn on HUM 255 (1969), will introduce and chat with Quinn of his early career.

In What The Fuck Are These Red Squares?, documents striking students who meet at a “Revolutionary Seminar” at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1970 in response to the invasion of Cambodia and the killing of protesting students at Kent and Jackson State Universities.

On behalf of the Review Committee for the Peace On Earth Film Festival, we extend our congratulations to the filmmakers whose films have been chosen as a 2016 Official Selection.

Our selections narrowed to 26 entries representing 11 different countries from a field of 101 submissions; this was an arduous task; given so many worthy, thought provoking, and illuminating films.

One of the purposes of this festival is to bring to light films that are often challenged to find exhibition. It takes a leap of faith to create films in the genre of peace; and all of the submissions reflected the filmmakers’ own advocacy and dedication to the cause.

We thank all of the submitting filmmakers. Our deepest regard for you, your crew, pre and post-production team, everyone involved in the creation of your film: we hold you all in high esteem. Most importantly, the 2016 Peace on Earth Film Festival Review Committee thanks you for your steadfast dedication to peace, nonviolence, social justice, and an eco-balanced world, through the art of filmmaking.

The Directors of the Peace On Earth Film Festival, along with the Board of Directors of Transcendence Global Media, NFP, are pleased to announce that the 2016 Peace On Earth Film Festival, will be presented in partnership with the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and will take place in the historic Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater, beginning Thursday, March 3, through Sunday, March 6, 2016.

The 8th Annual Peace On Earth Film Festival (POEFF) celebrates and supports independent filmmakers and their work from around the world on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance: films within the various modalities of peace genre. Taking place at the historic Chicago Cultural Center, in the heart of Chicago’s world-renowned theater district, POEFF aims to contribute to a culture of peace through international cinema, dialogue and programming highlighting individuals on the vanguard of peace activism and social change.

Presenting a program of multi-faceted films, POEFF focuses on reshaping attitudes, encouraging and highlighting nonviolent practices, and opening minds to the possibility of communication, consideration, tolerance and understanding. POEFF features an Opening Night Press Gala, Filmmakers’ Panel discussions, Peacemakers’ Panel, discussions and a Closing Night Awards Ceremony where exhibiting filmmakers are honored, and category winners receive accolades and cash prizes.

Call for Submissions

Submissions for the 2016 Peace On Earth Film Festival will commence on June 10, 2015, and run through September 30, 2015. For further details see: Guidelines for Submissions.

Fifty years ago, an enduring divide began between those who served in Vietnam and those who fought a different war at home. Through the courageous acts of a Vietnam veteran and a peace advocate in Missoula, Montana, BEYOND THE DIVIDE illuminates a path to healing old wounds while reimagining peace.

After Saddam Hussein’s loss of power in Iraq, childhood friends Hussein and Alan decide to produce a film about the ‘Al Anfal’ Kurdish genocide. But making a film in post war Kurdistan is not easy. And the most difficult task seems to be finding a leading actress. Suddenly they find her: Sinor, young and beautiful – and passionate about their project. However, she is not allowed to decide on her own. Her cousin and her uncle, his father, control her fate. As they run out of money and time, Hussein and Alan sacrifice everything to keep on filming.

Throughout the 1930’s, an unimaginable evil tore through Europe, as Hitler’s Third Reich terrorized its way to domination. During these tumultuous times, a young Muslim woman living in Paris found her calling. Noor Inayat Khan grew up in a home that fostered faith and hope. Leading with her heart, she overcame her quiet nature and joined Winston Churchill’s covert operation to give the allies a new chance at victory. This is her story.

Criminal offenders, plagued by a lifetime of violence, addiction and bad choices, find their way to the Peace Class in a Texas prison where they struggle to change, discover their humanity and try to beat the odds, as they put their lives back together from the inside out. Exposé Award: to recognize the achievement of filmmakers in short and/or feature length, whose film exposes significant and life-altering issues that have previously been given little attention or notice in the world.

City of the Damned focuses on LGBT rights in the face of the “kill the gays” anti-homosexuality bill, which became effective in February 2014. Although the death penalty was withdrawn from the bill due in large part to international pressure, public opinion remains the biggest threat to the Ugandan LGBT community. Youth on Rock Foundation (YRF), a Ugandan non-governmental organization, is fighting against stigma by promoting economic empowerment among its members. Najib, YRF’s treasurer, sells clothes in Uganda’s largest market. He aims to prove that his sexuality does not define him; his respect for life, his determination for equality, and his aspirations to become a lawyer do.

Francis is a seven year old boy who loves dresses. When his teacher makes Francis a dress, his father Matt becomes enraged. Fearing the worst, Matt is forced to face his own fears and to choose between protecting his son from an intolerant world, or allowing the boy to live truthfully.

A short documentary centered on a group of young women who are telling each of their dark stories of being sexually assaulted and having been living in fear since there’s no escape from the past but as time progresses, these girls are showing to people that they are strong and they have a voice that needs to be heard. They are not anonymous.

On behalf of the Review Committee for the Peace On Earth Film Festival, we extend our congratulations to the filmmakers whose films have been chosen as a 2015 Official Selection.

The process of selecting 41 entries from a field of 142 submissions was more difficult than the Review Committee could have imagined; given so many worthy, thought provoking, and illuminating films.

One of the purposes of this festival is to bring to light films that are often challenged to find exhibition. It takes a leap of faith to create films in the genre of peace; and all of the submissions reflected the filmmakers’ own advocacy and dedication to the cause.

We thank all of the submitting filmmakers. Our deepest regard for you, your crew, pre and post-production team, everyone involved in the creation of your film: we hold you all in high esteem. Most importantly, the 2015 Peace on Earth Film Festival Review Committee thanks you for your steadfast dedication to peace, nonviolence, social justice, and an eco-balanced world, through the art of filmmaking.

The Directors of the Peace On Earth Film Festival, along with the Board of Directors of Transcendence Global Media, NFP, are pleased to announce that the 2015 Peace On Earth Film Festival, will be presented in partnership with the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and will take place in the historic Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater, beginning Thursday, March 19, through Sunday, March 22, 2015.

SUBMISSIONS for the 2015 Peace On Earth Film Festival will commence on July 10, 2014. For further details see: Guidelines for Submissions.

The 7th Annual PEACE ON EARTH FILM FESTIVAL (POEFF) celebrates and supports independent filmmakers and their work from around the world on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance: films within the various modalities of peace genre. Taking place at the historic Chicago Cultural Center, in the heart of Chicago’s world-renowned theater district, POEFF aims to contribute to a culture of peace through international cinema, dialogue and programming highlighting individuals on the vanguard of peace activism and social change.

Presenting a program of multi-faceted films, POEFF focuses on reshaping attitudes, encouraging and highlighting nonviolent practices, and opening minds to the possibility of communication, consideration, tolerance and understanding. POEFF features Opening Night Festivities, Filmmaker and Peacemaker Panel discussions, Q&A with attending filmmakers, and a Closing Night Awards Ceremony where exhibiting filmmakers are honored, and category winners receive accolades and cash prizes, and a ‘Wrap Party’ where the celebrating of filmmakers continues.

Shaul, an Israeli, and Nizar, a Palestinian, seem to have little in common, but for a shared spirit of entrepreneurship. They create a solar energy company with plans to bring renewable energy to communities in the Palestinian territories. Support is beyond difficult, until they take their story to the Internet and inspire others.

Most of us at some time in our lives feel that we have been wronged by others in some way. It may be as a result of malicious gossip or maybe a violent act or even worse. How do we react in such situations? Do we lash out at the offender, are we eaten up with the desire for revenge? “A Step Too Far?” investigates an alternative to revenge – the idea of forgiveness.

Shot against the stunning backdrop of Hawaii, ‘dress’ is a poetic and emotional tale of Ben and his two children as they struggle to cope with the death of his wife Maile. This genuine and thoughtful story explores how this family deals with their loss.

A moving cinema verite breaks through the walls of one of Americas oldest maximum security prison. Shot over a six-month period the film takes us behind the walls of the Iowa State Penitentiary entering the personal lives of the prisoners as they build a prison-based, prisoner-staffed hospice program from the ground up.

After Ray, a well-meaning but wimpy man, loses his job as well as his girlfriend, he encounters Blotto, a cat who is the self-proclaimed Cat-God of High Fives. Blotto whisks Ray off to the High Five Realm, where he teaches him the joys of high fives, and in turn, reveals to Ray the true meaning of paying it forward.

A shocking documentary about the struggle of the people of Jeju Island, S. Korea. Set in the context of the American presence in Korea after World War II, the film reveals horrible atrocities at the hands of the U.S. Military Government of Korea. Exposé Award: to recognize the achievement of filmmakers in short and/or feature length, whose film exposes significant and life-altering issues that have previously been given little attention or notice in the world.

Stepping Toward the Lion: Finding My Story chronicles the journey of a young African-American Muslim named Alaudeen as he ventures through an interfaith storytelling group and gains a new perspective on life after dealing with years of prejudice and bullying. Storytelling enables Alaudeen to better understand and overcome the one major obstacle that stands between him and his future: his fear.

10 year old Ravi, recently arrived from Sri Lanka, is shy on his first day at an Australian school. Ravi and his family have just moved into Sydney’s Villawood detention centre and school is the only time he is allowed outside its fences.